The Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat clan, though not powerful, possessed an innate sensitivity to dark energy, allowing them to harvest it from the world and refine it into the precious Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals.
The primary purpose of the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat clan in refining these Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals was for the cultivation of their Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat King.
Although the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat clan was not particularly strong, with adult members at the Core Condensation realm, their Cat Kings could reach the Golden Core realm.
Furthermore, exceptionally gifted Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat Kings could even rival human Nascent Soul cultivators.
This was because Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals greatly amplified the dark energy within the Cat King, enabling them to unleash immense combat power.
"Ten kilograms of Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals, that should be enough," Zhang Fan said softly, weighing the crystal in his hand.
"Rest for a while, adjust yourself to peak condition, and then absorb and refine this Black Obsidian Yuan Crystal. Strive to condense your Nascent Core in one go," Zhang Fan tossed the crystal into Luo Xiaoxiao's embrace.
"Mm." Luo Xiaoxiao nodded heavily. Having cultivated to the peak of the Heavenly Human realm, her next step was to condense her Nascent Core and break through to the third major cultivation realm, the Golden Core stage.
With Zhang Fan's help, she only spent a few days to break through from Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment realm.
Then, after cultivating for another three months, she reached the peak of the Heavenly Human realm. This rate of progress was astonishing for any cultivator.
Black Obsidian Yuan Crystals were the condensed essence of dark energy refined by the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cats. They did not require further refinement by Zhang Fan and were best absorbed directly.
After adjusting herself, Luo Xiaoxiao's state of mind and energy reserves were at their optimal. Under Zhang Fan's watchful eye, she sat down and placed the Black Obsidian Yuan Crystal before her…
As she circulated her cultivation technique, a pool of ink-black mist flowed from within Luo Xiaoxiao, enveloping the Black Obsidian Yuan Crystal.
With a sizzling sound, the crystal was corroded by the black mist, turning into droplets of black liquid that then flowed into Luo Xiaoxiao's mouth.
As the black liquid entered her, Luo Xiaoxiao's fair skin gradually turned black, making her look like a young African girl.
Luo Xiaoxiao absorbed the dark crystal at an extremely slow pace. In an entire day, she refined less than half a jin of it. Zhang Fan estimated it would take her at least a month to fully refine this single crystal.
Thinking this, he waved his hand and tossed out several array disks. Light flickered on them, forming a massive defensive formation.
After surviving the third Heavenly Tribulation of the Nascent Soul, Zhang Fan's Nascent Soul had been further strengthened. After refining three Tribulation-Nascent Souls and over seventy million spirit crystals, he had now reached the late stage of the Three-Tribulation Nascent Soul.
Simultaneously, the number of Sword Dao rules and Thunder Dao rules within him exceeded three thousand, comparable to an ordinary Five-Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
Despite his substantial increase in strength, Zhang Fan remained unflagging, for he had offended the most powerful overlords on the Realm Heart Continent.
Time always passed quickly in cultivation. A month slipped by unnoticed. While cultivating, Zhang Fan suddenly sensed a fluctuation in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which began to converge relentlessly towards a single point.
He stopped cultivating and his gaze fell upon Luo Xiaoxiao nearby. A pitch-black vortex hovered above her head, like a black hole, madly devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
As the spiritual energy poured in, her aura continuously climbed…
This process did not last long. With a low rumble, the black vortex above Luo Xiaoxiao's head abruptly dissipated, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth returned to tranquility.
"Master, I succeeded!" Luo Xiaoxiao stood up, feeling the Nascent Core filled with immense power within her, and exclaimed excitedly to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan nodded, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
In just over four months, Luo Xiaoxiao had transformed from an ordinary person who had never cultivated into a Core Condensation realm cultivator. This pace made even him, her master, feel a bit ashamed.
Of course, Luo Xiaoxiao's achievement was due to a multitude of factors.
Firstly, she possessed the innate Dark God Body. From the moment she embarked on the path of cultivation, she could absorb dark energy to rapidly increase her cultivation.
Secondly, at the beginning of her cultivation, Zhang Fan had used a cleansing spirit fruit to wash her marrow and refine her physique, making it purer and free of impurities. Coupled with Zhang Fan's carefully chosen cultivation technique that perfectly suited the Dark God Body, she had gained a significant advantage over countless cultivators from the outset.
Finally, during her cultivation, Zhang Fan had expended vast amounts of rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures to refine elixirs suitable for each of her realms, ensuring she encountered no bottlenecks in her early cultivation.
Moreover, the spiritual energy on the Realm Heart Continent was far more abundant than on Earth. Considering all these factors, her current achievement was not entirely unexpected.
…
"Now that you have broken through to the Core Condensation realm, your next task is to fully comprehend the True Meaning of Darkness."
"Remember, you must comprehend nine strands of the True Meaning of Darkness and only when you are confident in condensing a first-grade, top-tier Golden Core can you break through to the Golden Core realm," Zhang Fan warned Luo Xiaoxiao seriously.
"Mm." Although Luo Xiaoxiao possessed the innate Dark God Body, she knew how difficult it was to condense a first-grade, top-tier Golden Core. She was uncertain if she could achieve it.
However, she never defied her master's instructions, so she nodded without hesitation, demonstrating her resolve.
"I have some matters to attend to now, and they might be dangerous. I must handle them carefully myself and cannot bring you along."
"You are not weak now, but to become truly strong, you must endure your own trials. Therefore, our master-disciple relationship will part ways here. You are free to explore the Realm Heart Continent as you wish."
"But remember one thing: never reveal that you are my disciple, Zhang Fan," Zhang Fan instructed.
Though Luo Xiaoxiao was puzzled, she still nodded.
Even with her reluctance, Luo Xiaoxiao understood that with her current strength, staying by her master's side would only make her a burden and drag him down.
"When I leave the Realm Heart Continent, I will come to find you," Zhang Fan added.
Even though the Realm Heart Continent was vast, with precise intelligence and if one was not intentionally hiding, finding someone was not difficult.
Luo Xiaoxiao, her small body kneeling before Zhang Fan, bowed three times. She cast a lingering glance at him before transforming into a black silhouette and flying away into the distance.
"Master, the next time we meet, I will not disappoint you!" she vowed silently in her heart.
Watching Luo Xiaoxiao depart, Zhang Fan felt a pang of emptiness. But he knew that if he kept her under his protection forever, it would only harm her and waste her extraordinary talent.
"I have taught her all I could. Her future growth depends entirely on her own fortune," Zhang Fan composed himself and began preparing to refine his own blood-tempered divine weapon.
…